Coaching will have to take a back seat for Leeds Rhinos star Luke Gale

As Luke Gale continues to recover from a torn pectoral muscle, suffered when lifting weights last month, he has spent some time as an avid viewer of pre-season practice sessions at the Super League club.

It was something Sean Long, Rhinos’ assistant and an erstwhile Test No 7 himself, wanted him to do during his rehabilitation and for myriad reasons including seeing first-hand some of the principles the Leeds coaching staff want to get across.

However, spending more time with head coach Richard Agar and Long has also allowed Gale, who turns 33 in June, to get a more accurate sense of what is involved with coaching.

Now, the 2017 Steve Prescott Man of Steel winner admits it is something he might look to pursue when he does finish playing.

“The lads have been giving me plenty of stick already,” Gale told The Yorkshire Post.

“When I’ve got my coat on watching training, they are asking if I’m ‘Coach Gale’ or ‘Player Gale’ today?

“They’ve been getting into me. They do reckon I’m coaching already! But I do like learning. I like learning from Rich and Longy and it’s something I think I’d definitely like to do as time goes on.”

Super League legend Long, of course, joined Leeds at the end of last season after moving back to the code from Harlequins RU.

The former St Helens and Great Britain star has done it all in rugby league, including beating the Australians with the Lions in 2006.

For fellow half-back Gale, who hopes to represent England again at the World Cup this autumn, it is an invaluable experience.

“Longy’s been great; fantastic,” he added.

“We’ve not done much yet (on the field) but I’m just watching the sessions with him and being in the videos. He’s just such a smart player. I’m looking forward to that relationship flourishing.

“His style of play is going to suit me as well. It makes it massively exciting wanting to get back on the training field.”

The Yorkshireman, who lifted the Challenge Cup for home-town Leeds last year in his first season with the club, is not far off doing that in full.

After surgery on the pectoral injury, his recovery is going well and he even bench-pressed last week for the first time since suffering the tear.

“I got back under the bar and I did 30 kilos,” he said.

“It was 130 kilos the day I did it but I won’t be doing that again in a hurry! It’s been a really positive week. I’m not sure what’s in store next. Even if we went up 20 kilo per week up to round one, that’d be good.

“But the physio says it’s more about just getting the movement again rather than the weight and I’ve ticked off that first hurdle this week.

“I’ve been running for probably two weeks now as well and started to join in with low level training so it’s progressing really well.

“It’s been nearly six weeks and things have gone perfectly.”

Medical specialists said the former Castleford Tigers and Bradford Bulls star could be back for Easter.

“They said 12 weeks so that gives us until round two,” said Gale, when Leeds play Castleford at St Helens on Good Friday.

“If we shave a week, which we maybe hope we can, then I could be back for round one. I’m at that age where my body will tell me. If I aim for round one it gives me a great incentive to get back. I’m pretty positive.”

That said, given his importance to the team, Agar will certainly not rush the influential play-maker back for the opener against Wakefield Trinity on March 26.

Gale has passed on a message of support to Castleford’s Sosaia Feki, who ruptured an Achilles tendon in training last week.

The Tonga winger could miss the entire season having only played just once last year – his first campaign at Wheldon Road – due to two earlier injury blows.

Gale can understand how Feki is suffering; he also ruptured an Achilles tendon while in pre-season training himself at Castleford three years ago.

He said: “I was speaking to (Castleford physio) Matty Crowther. Obviously, I’ve done the same injury and Matty rehabbed me back to fitness.

“I asked him to pass on that it is a tough injury and tough coming back from but he’s in good hands there with Matty.

“He has had rotten luck since he’s been at Cas. There’ll be no one more gutted than him but I wish him a speedy recovery.”

Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today. Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you’ll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app and receive exclusive members-only offers. Click HERE to subscribe.